Michigan ballot issues address referendums, fracking

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- An activist has cleared a hurdle to start collecting signatures for a ballot measure that lets voters repeal laws with spending measures.

The Michigan election board on Friday approved the form of petitions for the referendum amendment and a measure to ban fracking.

That means activists will try to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures to qualify for the statewide ballot.

The contentious right-to-work law that recently passed isn't subject to a referendum because Republicans added an appropriation to it. A Ferndale man says the state constitution should be amended so voters can repeal any law.

Activists failed to gather enough signatures last year for a constitutional ban against a drilling procedure known as fracking. This time they're trying a different approach where they first ask the Legislature to act.